Concrete track construction.



No. 789,102. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

.f H. B. NICHOLS.

CONCRETE TRACK CONSTRUCTION.-

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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No. 789.102. PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905.

- H. B. NICHOLS.

CONCRETE TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1904.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

n Nw! JIII N UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

HENRY B. NICHOLS, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONCRETE TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,102, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed July 27,1904. Serial No. 218,395.

To all wir/m, it nfl/ay concern:

, Be it known that I, HENRY B. NIoHoLs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Concrete Track Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to methods of and means for constructing railway road-beds and track structures and to the structure-s thus produced.

It relates particularly to such structures as have the supporting means for the rails and the road-surfaces associated with or carried by masses of composition material, such as concrete, artificial stone, cement, and the like.

My invention has for its object the production of a structure of the class mentioned in which the rails are removably carried upon and supported by a mass or masses of composition, to which they are anchored by means which hold them down, but which provide for adjustment, the change of rails, and the easy cepair of the supporting structure or the surace.

It also has for its object the development of means for and a method of building the supporting structure and laying the rails which combines simplicity with certainty, which insures the com pactness and homogeneity of the mass of composition employed, and that it shall present a sufhcient resistance to tensile as well as to compression strains, as well as that it shall permit either old or new rails at first laying or any subsequent time to be accurately and readily adjusted. The method I do not claim herein, but present the same in a separate application.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a cross-section of a road-bed constructed as I have indicated. Figs. 2, 3,

and 4 are plan, side, and end views, respectively, of one of the temporary ties employed during construction of same.

Referring to the drawings, A is the roadsurface, paved with blocks a or in any other suitable manner, this surface paving' resting on a layer of sand s. The rails B rest upon the solid body of concrete D, which extends across the horizontal surface r/ of the earth Gr and into the side trenches g cut longitudinally beneath the rails. This mass of concrete extends along the track continuously and at intervals has embedded in it the reinforcing-rods E, having their ends e bent down into the side trenches in order to gain a firm anchorage in the side bodies. At intervals in each side body ayoke C is embedded, consisting, preferably, of an open frame with flanged sides c and provided at its upper end with opposite lugs c4, within which work the adjusting-screws c5, these confining between them the holding-blocks and vertical screws or bolts c2, the foot 3 of the rail B being embraced between these holding-blocks and the rail being therefore adjustable to exact gage by manipulating the screws c".

In setting the rails the horizontal trench is lirst excavated and surfaced, as at g. Temporary cross-ties are then supported transversely in this trench, the rails laid thereon and roughly brought to gage. I prefer for this purpose to use the form of cross-tie shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, which consists of a wooden body portion H, surmounted by the channel member H', suitably secured thereto and of a length greater than that of the body portion H. The overhanging ends thus produced facilitate the attachment and detachment of the rails, while the body portion H is adapted to the operation of surfacing the rails by tam ping up under the tie. At each end of the tie the overhanging channel portion is perforated by the slotted holes /L 7L', through the enlarged portion of which the head of the bolt z' freely slips to be engaged by the slotted portion of the hole for the purpose of clamping the rail and tie by means of the clips jj" and nuts if: 7c. Having secured the rails to the temporary ties the side trenches g are dug, the yokes or anchors C hung upon the rails, and the concrete filled in. In this part of the process shims or distance-pieces c3 are interposedy between the rail-foot b3 and the head of each yoke. In finishing, these are removed as well as the temporary ties, leaving the rails, as

shown, raised from the yokes and adjustably held down thereby upon the concrete.

In the drawings a type of rail in common use is shown at B, with a head Z2', a high web and a groove b2, having an inclined face. The concave sides of the rail-ligure are filled out by means of the special blocks a, which it will be observed do not take or transmit any strains and which clear the adjusting and holding screws or bolts. Any other form ot rail or any new rail of the same form can be substituted for the rails shown with out in any material degree disturbing or injuring the main body of the concrete bed. Moreover, the road-surface may be repaired, as desired, and the sand replaced from time to time without injury to the concrete.

The principal beneiit derived from my improved construction thus described is the solidity and permanence ot' the structure, this being due as regards the stability ot' the rails in particular to the fact that they are supported continuously throughout their length upon the concrete. What I mean by continuously is for such a large proportion oi' the total length that the loss of support at intermediate points is negligible. It should be observed that concrete and other compositions as a general rule shrink perceptibly in setting. In my many experimental structures ot' various sorts I have found that it is not practicable to have the supports like yokes and expect to have the intermediate portions of the rails still remain in contact with the composition after setting. The latter shrinks away from the rails inevitably, leaving them supported at comparatively widely separated points as in past practice. Hence no advantage is really gained by the expensive concrete construction that would not follow from heavy yokes in any case. The shims or other distance-pieces employed in my work obviate this shrinkage dificulty. The yokes of course might be replaced by other forms ot' fastening devices; but I prefer these as of proved eiciency and standard in form. The main point is to leave the rail supported not upon the yoke, but upon the concrete, the yoke after setting and securing serving merely to hold the rail down. When the shim is removed, this is accomplished. A small break in the concrete surface at each yoke may either be iilled in after adjustment 0r may be neglected without damage or loss. The greater part ot' the rail rests on the concrete bed and is stii'fened and the running made smooth thereby.

- I claim this structure broadly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. In track construction, the combination of two or more metal yokes, a continuous or monolithic composition-Stringer extending between and embedding said yokes, and arail adjustabl y secured to the yokes and thereby held down upon the surface ofthe Stringer, substantially as described.

2. In track construction, the combination with two or more metal yokes of a monolithic composition-support extending between and embedding said yokes, and a rail adjustably secured by the yokes tothe composition-support, but exerting no weight upon the yoke, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a rail of a railwaytrack of a monolithic composition-Stringer directly supporting said rail, and a metal yoke embedded in said Stringer, said yoke having transverse adjusting screws or bolts, vand vertical means for holdingdown the rail upon the Stringer, substantially as described.

4. In railway-track construction, a pair of rails, a monolithic body supporting both rails and 'formed with heavy portions directly beneath the rails and a lighter cross-connecting web, together with reinforcing-rods embedded in said body transversely thereof, with their ends bent laterally to secure anchorage in the heavier portions of the body, substantially as described.

5. In railway-track construction, a monolithic body having heavy side portions in the nature of stringers, together with an integral homogeneous cross-connecting web, reinforcing-rods embedded therein to strengthen the web, a series ot' anchors or yokes embedded in each Stringer, rails supported upon the stringers and adjustably held by but not upon the yokes, substantially as described.

6. A tie for track-laying comprising the body portion H and the overhanging end portions H said overhanging end portions being provided with rail-attaching means for bringing the rails roughly to gage, substantially as described.

7. In track construction, the combination with two or more metal yokes, of a monolithic composition-support extending between and embedding said yokes, and a rail secured by the yokes to the composition-support, but exerting no weight upon the yokes, substantially as described.

8. In railway-track construction, a monolithic body having heavy side portions, reinforcing-rods embedded in said body,a series of anchors or yokes embedded in said body, and rails carried upon the body throughout their length, held down thereto by but not upon the yokes, substantially as described.

9. In railway-track construction, a monolithic composition road bed or support, strengthening-rods of metal embedded therein, and rails resting thereon throughout their length, with means embedded in the composition-body for holding the rails down upon the same, substantially as described.

10. In railway-track construction, a mono- IOO IIC

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lithic body, rails resting upon said body and continuously supported thereon, with yokes or anchors embedded in said body and having fastening devices engaging said rails to hold the same down upon the body, substantially as described.

l1. In railway-track construction, a monolithic composition support, a rail carried thereby, and means to hold the rail upon the support throughout substantially its Whole I0 length, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihavc affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

THoMAs B. BRooKs, E. W. NICHOLSON. 

